Submarine apparatus.



No. 664,l52. Patented Dec. I8, i900.

' A. VON HOFFMANN.

SUBMABINE APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 12, 1900.)

' 3 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

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Patented Dec. 18, I900.

A; v08 HdFFMANjN. SUBMABINE APPARATUS.

, (Application filed June 12, 1900.) I (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

THE NcRms Psnzas co, Pnowmmou WASHINGTON, o. c.

- Mm 664,52. Patented Dec. l8, I900.

AQVUN HDFFMANN. 'SUBMARINE APPARATUS.

(Application filed. June 12, 1900,) (No Modai.) ,3 Shoets8heat 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST VON HOFFMANN, OF MUNICH, GERMANY.

SUBMARINE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,152, dated December18, 1900.

Application filed June 12, 1900.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, AUGUST VON HOFFMANN, a citizen of Austria, residingat Munich, in the Empire of Germany, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Submarine Apparatus; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to vessels for use in submarine operations thatare anchored to the bottom of the sea, from which position the crew inthe boat can operate on a sunken object.

The invention consists, broadly, in the arrangement of an endless chainor the like running around the vessel, pulleys attached to the chain,anchor-ropes that pass through the pulleys and then into the vessel andare secured to winding-drums, and means for moving the endless chainaround the vessel in either direction, and in such other features ofconstruction and arrangement, separately or in combination, as will befully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ora boat embodying my invention in my preferred form of construction andarrangement. Fig. 2 shows a front View. Fig. 3 illustrates the boat froma bottom View showing the turning arrangements. Figs. 4 and 6 showdiagrammatically two different methods of turning the boat. Fig. 5 showsthe turning apparatus in various positions. Fig. 7 shows in diagram themeans for anchoring the boat.

My new diving-boat consists of a vessel shaped somewhat like a ship andis closed on all sides. It is divided lengthwise into threecompartments, of which a is the chamber from which the work is performedon the object by means of tools passing through orifices in the sides,as is well known by those skilled in the art. The room a is connectedwith the rear room 1) by a corridor 0.

There are four anchors attached to ropes g, h, 1', and j, respectively,that are each wound upon a drum is is k 10 arranged two on each side ofthe boat, which drums can be operated by the crew of the boat. Thesecuring of the Serial No. 20,086. (No model.)

boat by means of these several anchors may be effected in various ways.According to Fig. 7, as one example, the anchor gis dropped at asufficient distance from the object at 1. Then the boat is moved to theposition of 2, Fig. 7, and here the anchor h is dropped, whereupon theboat is moved diagonally across and at an equal height with 1 theanchorjis dropped at 3. Then the boat is further moved across to the point 4 ofFig. 7, where finally the anchor i is dropped. Then the boat moves tothe middleof the rectangle made by these four anchor positions, (at theintersection of the diagonals in dotted lines,) whereupon by the windingup of the anchorropes upon their respective drums the boat is securelyand immovably anchored. For the rotating of the thus-anchored boat thefollowing arrangement is provided: On the outside of the boat an endlesschain 12 or the like is carried, being supported and guided by suitablepulleys m, secured to the side of the boat, there being five shown ateach end of the boat. One of these pulleys m has a bevel-gear attachedto it, meshing with another gear on a shaft p, projecting through theboat, on the inner end of which is secured an operatinghandle, by whichone of the crew may move the chain in one direction or the other. Onthis chain n are fixed four pulley-blocks 0 0 o 0 two on each side ofthe boat. Each of these pulleys has one of the said anchor-ropes passingthrough it after emerging through the hawse-hole of the boat.

The turning of the boat in either direction can be effected by thearrangement just described in two different ways. In one way two of theanchor-ropesfor instance, h and j, Fig. 4:constituting a diagonal of thesaid rectangle, are tightly stretched, while the other ropes g and 1 areslackened. Then by the means atp the chain is moved in the direction ofthe arrow, Fig. 4, and also the pulley o, 850., will move in the samedirection. This will cause the pulley 0 to put the anchor-rope h under agreater tension, and also the pulley 0 will put the anchor-rope 3' undergreater tension, while the other pulleys o and 0 will tend to relax thetension on the anchor-ropes g and i. The result of this is to cause theboat to turn, as on a pivot, to the position shown in the dotted linesin Fig. 4.

Then by tightening of the ropes g and i by their drums the boat issecured in this position. According to the diagonal position of theropes and the amount of shifting of the chain a greater or less turningof the boatis effected. On the contrary, if the other anchorropes g and1; are tightened and the ropes h and j slackened and then the chainmoved in the other direction a turning of the boat is efiected in theopposite direction to that just described. As illustrated in Figs. 5 and6, by this turning of the boat the hawse-hole 1*, through which passesthe anchor-rope 7), describes part of a circle, while the pulley 0 onthe chain for the same rope describes an elliptical track, and it willbe seen that the pulley crosses the track of the hawser. Through thiscrossing, as the positions of the pulley at 2 and 3, Fig. 6, indicate,the angle given to the rope by the pulley changes from obtuse to acute.

By means of the above-described arrangement the crew of the boat isenabled to anchor the boat near the object and to change the point ofattack on the objectin successive positions by simply manipulating theanchordrums and the chain-moving device, without which mechanism itwould be necessary to raise the anchor, steer the boat sidewise, andagain anchor the boat.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with a vessel, and anchor-ropes extendingfromseparate parts of the same, of means on the vessel forsimultaneously changing the points of connection of the anchor-ropeswith the vessel.

2. The combination with a vessel and a pair of anchor-ropes extendingfrom the same on each side, means on the vessel for simultaneouslychanging the points of connection of the anchor-ropes with the vessel,and a winding means on the vessel for each anchor-rope.

3. The combination with a vessel, of an endless chain or the like,passing around the vessel, anchor-ropes extending from the vessel andconnected with said chain, and means for moving the chain around thevessel in either direction.

4. The combination with a vessel, of an endless chain or the like,passing around the outside of the vessel and supported by pulleys ateach end of the vessel, pulleys arranged on the chain on each side ofthe vessel, anchorropes extending from the vessel on each side eachpassing through one of said pulleys on the chain, and'means for movingthe chain around the vessel in either direction.

5. The combination with a vessel, of an endless chain or the like,passing around the outside of the vessel and supported by pulleys ateach end of the vessel, pulleys arranged on the chain on each side ofthe vessel, apair of anchor-ropes extending from the vessel on eachside, said anchor-ropes passing through said pulleys on the chain, andmeans for moving the chain around the vessel in either direction.

6. The combination with a vessel, of an endless chain or the likepassing around the outside of the vessel and supported by pulleys ateach end of the vessel, pulleys arranged on the chain on each side ofthe vessel, a shaft extending through the side of the vessel at one endon which one of said pulleys is mounted, means for rotating said shaftinside of the vessel to actuate said endless chain, and a pair ofanchor-ropes extending from the vessel on each side, said anchor-ropespassing through said pulleys on the chain.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

AUGUST VON HOFFMANN.

Witnesses:

J OHN OREsToN BEECHER, S. B. (Runs.

